Guitar World’s “100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time”

Let the flailing begin! Guitar World picks the "100 greatest metal guitarists of all time" in its March issue, due out next week. Tony Iommi is numero uno – pretty hard to argue with that.

According to Guitar World editor-in-chief Brad Tolinski, the criteria for the list were purity and innovation. He said Iommi never strayed from a basic formula of B-tuned guitars played very loudly, plenty of power chords and slower rhythms.

"He's essentially the guy that created most of the conventions for heavy metal," Tolinski said. Iommi's "shining moment" is the track "Warning" from Black Sabbath's self-titled 1970 debut album, according to the poll.

If Black Sabbath started the heavy metal ball rolling, then Metallica kept it alive, Tolinski said, pointing to the 1984 track "Creeping Death" as the band's stand-out.

Page's relatively low No. 6 ranking raised some eyebrows since Led Zeppelin also helped pave the way for heavy metal. But Tolinski said Page would be the first to admit that his playing also incorporates blues and folk. Similarly, Eddie Van Halen has always had a foot in the pop world, he added.

Hendrix, who died in 1970, introduced some of the genre's conventions, but Tolinski termed him more of a "futuristic blues player" than a heavy metal guitarist. [Reuters]

This is called a poll – as with the Rolling Stone guitarist poll – who did they poll? I am unfamiliar with a lot of the hardcore and death metal guitarists mentioned here, but it sure seems to me like if you're talking about "innovation" that some of these earlier guys should be much higher: Budgie's Tony Bourge, Blue Cheer's Leigh Stephens, Blue Oyster Cult's Buck Dharma, Robert Fripp, Rudolf Schenker and Uli John Roth of Scorpions, and no Steve Hunter at all? The definition of metal is a little vague here also – a lot of these guys I would call "hard rock" rather than metal, but the definition of "metal" has changed over the years.

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Geebus cripes indeed. of course, if the purpose is rattling the guitar owner’s ‘sack’ with low-A power chords from his monitors, then Korn have Petrucci beat. If it comes to actual musical talent, Petrucci blows almost everybody on this list away — he can play literally anything, and play it with feeling. In an “all-around rock guitarist” list, I’d put him 2nd after Jimi Hendrix himself (and yes, ahead of Clapton).

Now if the list were “100 most INFLUENTIAL metal guitarists”, then Tony Iommi does deserve to be at or near the top. And admittedly, Korn’s puerile scrotum-rattling was quite influential…

This list completely ignores the underground sub-genres of Metal that’ve been the primary innovators. To add insult to injury, it places utter trash like Korn on the list while excluding Varg Vikernes, Orom, Gaahl and others. Named said it right, what a joke.

As for subgenres… if you wish to discuss them and advertise them, perhaps mention just more than one. What we need is LESS subgenres, more emphasis on “Heavy Metal” and that in my books puts the 80’s underground in the spot light. Tom G. Warrior deserves his place, even if he didn’t actually possess any great talent as an instrumentalist.

Fuck!!!!!! Dave and Marty should be higher then James and Kirk
All Kirk can use is the basic five note pentatonic scale.. James learned from Dave…. What else can I say besides the fact that more talent ran down the leg of Marty’s mother then James and kirk have combined lol

hahaha, if technical abilities is the most important indicator, john petrucci, michael angelo batio, steve vai, yngwie malmsteen, paul gilbert, & jason becker should be on the top 6, far far away in front of dave and marty that just fit on 30’s-50’s 😀

Where are Synyster Gates, Matt Heafy, and Corey Beaulieu? Like really, Have you seen what Syn and Corey have done? and the fact that Matt is able to sing songs like Forsake not the Dream while playing the guitar part, they deserve to be on the list

There’s no way James and Kirk are better than Dave and Marty or Yngwie. No way. Some of these guys shouldn’t even be on here and it seems as though there places are determined by popularity not “innovation” or “skill”

Failed to notice Synyster Gates in the line-up I know a lot of people will jump to disagree with me but I think that he would be very tough to beat technically. I don’t believe he is the best but top 100 for sure.

This is ridiculous hahaha jimi hendrix, pete townshend, neil young, jeff beck, the guys from thin lizzy… Aside from the fact that a lot of these guys are NOT metal guitarists by any means, the list is incredibly biased towards fame and not talent. I LOVE metallica, but you cannot seriously tell me that they beat Alexi fucking Laiho and Michael Amott by over 70 places. More influential, yes… but as far as metal talent goes not even close

I don’t even want to start on this list. These lists are a balance of talent and songwriting ability thus they are ‘very’ subjective choices. That said, just re-adjusting ‘your’ list: EVH needs to be higher, Jake E. Lee is better than Zak Wylde and look how far down Jake e. Lee is. Hendrix should be higher. And NO Neal Schon???! Alot of glam rock guys you forgot also who were pretty accomplished virtuosos. Like I said, I don’t even want to start. What about Billy Gibbons? How about Springsteen? The Allman Brothers? It’s tough to do an all encompasing list but this wasn’t really close to a very thorough or accurate effort. Not even close. Some young kids did this list. Drag ’em away from Eminem and they don’t know sh!t. More guys from the 60s should be included on here too.

Nigel Tufnel isn’t real, Buck Dharma should be higher, and it’s ridiculous to rate two-man teams on the same number… Hetfield and Hammett are nothing alike. And Jeff Beck is not a fucking metal guitarist.

I understand including guitarists who influenced metal, and metal players…that makes sense to me. But Neil Young? I don’t know about that. And Malcolm Young? I disagree with that also. But believe it or not this list is better than anything by Rolling Stone.

Some guitarists on this list have nothing to even do with metal ! Bryan may from queen ?Richie sambora from bon jovi?
Isn’t this supposed to be a list of best “METAL” guitarist ?..
This list is messed up ! Iron maiden !Judas priest ! Scorpions! Black Sabbath ! That’s where it all started.! These guitarists should be in the top.